Busiest freeway in U.S.: I-405 in Orange County

According to 2011 statistics, the section of I-405 from Seal Beach Boulevard to the 22 freeway sees tens of thousands more cars on any given day than even the most infamous bottlenecks in Los Angeles. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Federal numbers released Monday confirmed what brake-riding Orange County commuters may have always suspected: A stretch of I-405 through Seal Beach sees more traffic than anywhere else in the United States.

On a busy day, an estimated 379,000 vehicles pile onto a section of I-405 from Seal Beach Boulevard to the 22 freeway, according to the Federal Highway Administration, based on 2011 traffic counts. That makes it the busiest interstate in any American city.

That same stretch of I-405 shut down for 18 hours over the weekend so that work crews could topple an old overpass. The demolition and closure – dubbed the “Orange Jam” by Register readers in a naming contest – went smoothly, and the freeway opened ahead of schedule.

The work was part of a $277 million project to improve traffic in the area, scheduled to finish in late 2014 or in early 2015. Three freeways converge there – interstates 405 and 605 and the 22 – and the project will link their carpool lanes so that drivers don’t have to weave across traffic to exit one and merge onto another.

That part of I-405 has been the busiest section of freeway in California for at least a decade, according to traffic numbers kept by Caltrans. It sees tens of thousands more cars on any given day than even the most infamous bottlenecks in Los Angeles.

And that’s saying something, because California has the nation’s busiest freeways by far, according to the newly released federal numbers. Drivers put nearly 85 billion miles onto California freeways in 2011 alone, according to the Federal Highway Administration – enough to cover the distance from the Earth to the sun 900 times.

Texas was a distant second, with 55.7 billion miles traveled on its roads, followed by Florida, Ohio and Illinois.

I-5 accounted for 21.4 billion of the miles traveled in California, making it the nation’s busiest interstate. Two of the main arteries into Los Angeles – interstates 10 and 110 – were the second- and third-busiest.

Previous studies have shown that Americans are driving less and – as cars become more fuel-efficient – buying less gasoline. Those two trends have undercut the main federal funding source for highway improvements, an 18.4 cents-per-gallon tax.

Transportation Undersecretary Polly Trottenberg warned a congressional hearing last month that the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money sometime in the middle of next year.

In a statement, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said information like the traffic counts released Monday “help us stretch our dollars further, making a bigger difference for even more people.”

“Better information means cities and states can more efficiently target congestion and help people get home from work faster,” he said.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.